Dissolving Condom In Development At University Of Washington

Researchers at the University of Washington are close to developing a new condom that would block sexually transmitted diseases, stop unwanted pregnancies, release preventative drugs after use. This so-called "hypercondom" would also dissolve inside the body.

“This method allows controlled release of multiple compounds," Cameron Ball, a first-year graduate student involved in the research, said in a release. "We were able to tune the fibers to have different release properties."

They first dissolved polymers approved by the Food and Drug Administration and antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV to create a gooey solution that passes through a syringe. As the stream encounters the electric field it stretches to create thin fibers measuring 100 to several thousand nanometers that whip through the air and eventually stick to a collecting plate (one nanometer is about one 25-millionth of an inch). The final material is a stretchy fabric that can physically block sperm or release chemical contraceptives and antivirals.

“Our dream is to create a product women can use to protect themselves from HIV infection and unintended pregnancy," said Kim Woodrow, a UW assistant professor of bioengineering. "We have the drugs to do that. It’s really about delivering them in a way that makes them more potent, and allows a woman to want to use it."